The DOJ indicated that it has the legal authority to revoke the citizenship of a naturalized U.S. citizen under the Immigration and Nationality Act if the individual provided false information to legally obtain naturalization.

As noted by the department, the five immigrants lied on their naturalization paperwork about their prior convictions.

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“The Department of Justice has a duty to prosecute these crimes vigorously, particularly so for individuals who commit fraud in the naturalization process,” Sessions said.

The lawsuits were filed in the Southern District of Texas, the Northern District of Texas and the Southern District of Florida.

The Justice Department said the five cases were referred to the department by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.